Painting question...

J

jon

Active member
I'm at the point where I have just set my glass eyes into the head with a slightly watered down wood filler.

It is time for painting. In this order... Varnish _ Primer _ Paint. But what to do about the glass eyes? Any tricks or tips to prevent these three products from covering the eyes, or does it not matter? Does the primer and paint scrape off the eyes easily, or will it scratch the glass. Thanks for any information you might have.
 
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Paint right over them. I usually base coat over them and then scrape the paint off with a fingernail. Then go over them again when adding the top coat and then scrape off again. The only benefit of doing it twice is that if you've got a dark head and wait to scrape the paint off at the end sometimes it leaves a white ring around the perimeter of the eye where you get into the filler. You can always water down some dark paint and let go back to cover the white ring.
 
Jon~

Same as RC D - I try to avoid more varnish or paint on the eye than necessary but I always wind up scraping it off. I just use my knife - because glass is harder than steel.

(If you didn't scratch the eye with sandpaper - which IS harder than glass - you're way ahead of the curve!)

All the best,

SJS
 
Unlike a lot of the carvers, I set the eyes in kids modeling clay, then use a two part epoxy paste to form the outer eyelid and ring around the eye and set the eye firmly in the head. When I do that, I form the eye lid and smooth the joint of the putty to the wood by using a brush and lacquer thinner to cut the still soft epoxy. With patience, you can make it so smooth and detailed, very little sanding is needed and you can avoid the deadly scratches in the glass eye.

The rest of the advice you have gotten is good. Try to avoid heavy overcoating of the eyes, but what ends up there can be scraped off with Xacto blade. Scraping the eyes sometimes does leave a light ring that has to be touched up, with thin paint.
 
prime with a like color of your finish coat and scrape it off. If you have to scrape any of the finish coat you won't get a white eye ring.

I am not a fan of shellac or varnish as a sealant but everyone has their opinions, likes and dislikes. Best of luck
 
Hi, Tom~

I am curious as to what you use to seal gunning birds. If I did not use varnish I would at least use an oil paint (e.g., Rustoleum Flat Black, Flat White and permutations thereof). I know boiled linseed oil was used traditionally for oil topcoats; I've only used it on mantelpiece birds.

All the best,

SJS
 
Tom~

Makes sense: The Supreme Ultimate!

I've been using it recently on my foam birds (and Herters rehabs) - so the thought did occur to me to use it on my pine birds, too. You may just have changed my habits....

Thanks!

SJS
 
prime with a like color of your finish coat and scrape it off. If you have to scrape any of the finish coat you won't get a white eye ring.

I am not a fan of shellac or varnish as a sealant but everyone has their opinions, likes and dislikes. Best of luck
Click to expand...

Tom. Why are you not a fan of varnish as a sealant? Just trying to learn. Thanks.
 
I can't even get a keel to hold varnish through a season. There are probably hundreds of carvers who use it without fault. I found what works best for me, it never fails and that makes me happy
 
Tom,
I somewhat agree with you. I had a really had time getting varnish (urethane ) to hold up on keels long term. Since then I switched to a marine varnish that has been made by the company for years and years specifically for boats. I cant remember the name but I am happy with it. I would say the Val Spar would also hold up long term but the home depot off the shelf stuff I avoid now.
 
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